Breast Cyst- the feel, the cause and worries…

Cysts are sac-like structures that are found in tissues located in various parts of the human body containing liquid, semi-solid and gaseous component. When such sac-like or capsule-like structure are found in the breast they are referred to as Breast Cyst.

Breast cysts are mainly found in women and it is a non-cancerous (benign) collection of fluid in the breast. It is a very common medical condition in women but not all women have it, it is often described as round or oval lumps with clear edges.

It has a distinct membrane different from the surrounding tissue and may be found in either or both breast at the same time.

Breast cyst is not the same as breast lump or cancer. The Cyst can occupy a single spot or take multiple positions in the breast but it is expected to come and go.

How does it feel?

They can be described as round or oval, feels like a grape or a water-filled balloon. You can conceptualize it as a blister that vaporizes away by itself or may be punctured with a medical needle, though, sometimes it can be very firm.

Breast cysts may be micro or macro in size; it is micro when the cysts are too small to feel but with the aid of medical imaging or mammography it will be seen.

It is macro when you can feel the cysts with the touch of your hand or it is pushing against nearby breast tissue. In this case, according to Mayo Clinic, it can grow up to 1-2 inches (2.5 to 5.0 centimeters).

Occurrence

Breast cysts have been found in women of several ages but it is most common in the 30–50 year age group. BCI Westmead breast cancer Institute observed that Cysts occurred in 50% of the cases of women that visited breast clinic.

Cysts have been found to occur in a repetitive cycle with most women menstruation period and disappear thereafter. It has also been observed to disappear finally after menopause, but in exceptional cases, it can last a lifetime.

The occurrence has also been noticed in post-menopause lifetime particularly for women who take hormone replacement treatment.

When to get worried

The presence of breast cysts does not increase your risk of cancer and is not expected to have a significant negative impact on your health, however, the following events may trigger your concern about it.

When a cyst is large and painful or uncomfortable – this may require draining to ease the pain.

If the cyst contains pus rather than the normal fluid – the situation has translated from cyst to an abscess.

When you have a lumpy feeling that persists beyond your menstrual period, or if an existing breast lump grows or changes.

Causes

We can best understand the causes when we conceptualized the breast has consisting of layers of lobes and tissues dotted by glands that overlap and funnel fluid (milk) from one layer to the other.

When the fluid producing duct or lobes are blocked or the draining effect of the fluid producing lobes is slower than the absorbed amount, there would be a fluid accumulation called breast cyst.

Thus, over-growing glands within the connective tissues that link the milk ducts can lead to breast cysts.

The Cyst can also be due to hormonal imbalances or changes from monthly menstruation.

It has also been observed that excess estrogen in your body can stimulate breast tissue and contribute to breast cysts.

Your lifestyle like dieting, resting, movement and other external factors may constitute a contributing factor.

Make sure that you examine your breast frequently and if you should feel any unusual growth, rather than getting worried, consult with your physician.

I am glad that you find this post informative and educative. You are absolutely free to share it with friends because, I believe knowledge gives power and information is the only solution to deformation. Thank you for stopping-by this website, hope to see you again.Cheers!

Thank you for going through the piece, I agree with you that information is very important, particularly for the female gender. You can as well share with your female friends. Thank you for spending your precious time to go through this.

This is very important information to share with others. I truly appreciate all the detailed images and info you share here. I know women who are breast cancer survivors and well as those who have passed on. Knowing this information, once again, is very important. I am one who is avid about getting my exams and stay on top of my health in this way. Self checks are important as well and I feel if other women had this great information, they’d understand the importance as well.

The age to start having mammograms fluctuates within the medical field. What age is it currently to start having them?

For people with a history of cancer or other breast related concern in the family, the earlier the better they go for checks i.e mammograms. However, age 40-44 is not a bad idea to commence an annual check at the minimum. For women that are not at high risk, a confirmation test/check could be undertaken at 40-44 while the annual check can start at 50. I am happy that you find this post useful. Thank you for coming this way. Stay healthy.

I am glad that the information you read about WoW! you. It is important for highly susceptible women with family track record of breast related issues to do check-up once in a while to determine their status. Medically, a frequent or targeted check is recommended for women above 40 years. However, below 40 years you can do an in-house feel and check. Thanks for visiting this website. Hope to see you again.

I agree with you that you should go for a check-up periodically to determine your status, particularly if you are over 40 years. Thank you for finding this educative and for coming around to this platform.

Dear Christina,
So glad this is informative to you, knowledge is key for all. Somethings should not give us the jitters while somethings should accelerate our actions, all bother down to the information at our disposal. So grateful that you stop-by this post. Hope to see you around some other times.

Powerful post! Thanks for sharing. I will pass on to a few friends and my partner to share as well. I am very much into health and my partner and I are firm believers in wearing bra’s without the wire and also use natural deodorant, nothing with aluminium in it. (Not that I wear bra’s! Haha)

Really informative post and as I say will pass this on to a few friends. Thanks so much,

I am happy that this is informative to you and also I appreciate your support for bras without the wires and women health generally. I will appreciate you passing this on to your friends. Thanks for reading through this post.Cheers.